Mercy
by afoolforthg
Summary: Starts off in the last chapter of Mockingjay. It's a normal day for Katniss, but all that changes when a surprise visitor arrives, asking for her forgiveness...
1. Chapter 1

Today is my first day of real hunting since I got back to District 12.

The other times I went since I came back were just to ease myself into hunting again. I'd only come home with a few squirrels or something and Greasy Sae would cook them for me. But today is going to be the day where I actually come home with a decent load. District 12 isn't full of completely starving people like it used to be, but people are still pretty hungry. Paylor promises that this problem will be solved soon, but I might as well just take matters into my own hands for the time being.

When I enter the woods, I drop my game bag on the ground next to a rock, not bothering to be quiet. I see a squirrel dart in between the branches of the tree in front of me and shoot an arrow through it without any second thought. It falls to the ground at my feet, the arrow right in its eye.

After an hour or two of unexciting shooting, my game bag is loaded with seven squirrels, but nothing else. Maybe all of the other animals either fled District 12 when it started to burn. Or they died. Either one. It's not enough to feed anyone, really, so I make a promise with myself that I'll do better next time.

When I get home, I drop my game bag on the counter and then head towards the couch. Buttercup is sleeping on it, but I push him off. He lands on the floor, looks up at me, and hisses. Nothing new there. I push him away with my foot and he hisses again, but walks away. Somehow, I manage to fall asleep, but the nightmares wake me up after a little while. All I see when I close my eyes is a mixture of the Games, children dying, and Prim. Sweet, innocent Prim.

But that kind of thinking about Prim only makes me upset, so I try to think about something else. Luckily, Greasy Sae walks into my kitchen and nods at my full game bag.

"You catch all that?" she asks, and I nod.

I turn over so I'm staring up at the ceiling. Greasy Sae hums to herself as she prepares to cook for us. But she never eats much. She doesn't rest until she knows I've had enough to eat.

"Where's your granddaughter?" I ask, after a few minutes of silence.

"Playing with a few of her friends," Greasy Sae answers. "Hey, you sure you want these squirrels? I can make you something else if you want."

"It doesn't matter," I say, because it doesn't.

"You hear the rumor about Gale?" she asks. I sit up, looking at her. She's setting the table with two plates for herself and me, looking like it was no big deal.

"What rumor?" I ask. I'm not supposed to care. I know that. But I can't help but be curious.

"Word is that he quit that fancy job in Two. People are saying he's coming back to Twelve, but no one's sure," she says, reaching into the drawer for utensils.

"Hmm" is all I say.

The door opens and Peeta walks in, looking tired. "Hey. Hope you don't mind setting the table for three," he says. He makes his way into the kitchen and sits down in one of the chairs at the table.

"Rough day?" asks Greasy Sae.

"The bakery was really busy today. I've been working nonstop since seven in the morning," Peeta answers. Greasy Sae nods, looking a little bit sympathetic, and places two dishes on the table. One has the cooked squirrels and the other has a large pot of soup.

"You joining us, Katniss?" Greasy Sae asks, sitting down across from Peeta. I nod, even though I'm not hungry, and sit in the seat next to Peeta.

As soon as I sit, there's a knock on the door that makes me jump out of surprise. No one ever knocks on my door. My only visitors consist of Greasy Sae and her granddaughter, Peeta, and Haymitch, but they just walk right inside.

"I'll get it, I guess," I say, since it's my house. Hesitantly, I stand up and walk over to the door, not knowing what to expect. When I open the door, I'm met with the face of Gale. I stare at him, not knowing what to say. What does he want?

"Hey, Catnip," he says, but it doesn't make the two of us smile like it used to. "Can I come in?" he asks, since I don't say anything. I shrug and step back to let him inside.

"We have a visitor," I say in a tight voice.

Of course, Peeta's the one to act polite. "Hey, Gale," he says, like nothing ever happened. He stands up, even shakes Gale's hand. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good, thanks," Gale says, sounding uninterested. I know he doesn't particularly want to have a conversation with Peeta.

"Gale," says Greasy Sae with a nod. He nods back at her.

"What do you want?" I ask, not bothering to sound polite. I don't care about Gale. He left me in Twelve alone, assuming that I'd just crawl into the arms of Peeta. But I didn't. The sight of him brings on the memories that I've been trying to push away.

"Forgiveness," he says bluntly.

"Then look somewhere else, because you won't find it here," I snap. I'm not ready to forgive him yet. Even though it isn't entirely his fault. I want to hold a grudge for at least a few more weeks.

He straightens up. "Katniss," he says.

"Go away," I say with all the malice I can manage.

"Fine," he says. He doesn't present any argument, which is very out of character for him. Instead, he just walks right out the door, closing it a little loudly behind him.

"Katniss..." Peeta says, standing up to comfort me, but I don't want his comfort. I don't want anyone's comfort. The damage has been done. Prim is dead. She's never coming back. But I don't want to forgive Gale.

I walk in the opposite direction of Peeta's arms, toward my bedroom. I slam the door shut behind me and lock it. I don't come out for the rest of the night. Neither Greasy Sae nor Peeta make an attempt to come get me. They know I don't want to talk to them at the moment. All I want is be by myself.


	2. Chapter 2

My nightmares are riddled with fire.

At first, the nightmares aren't so bad. They start off with me during the opening ceremonies during my first Hunger Games. Then I'm on fire during my first interview with Caesar Flickerman. The final part of my okay dream is me as a Mockingjay, after I twirled and my wedding dress transformed.

Suddenly, I'm back in the arena. There's fire all around me, the thick smoke entering my lungs. This is the fire that the Gamemakers created during the 74th Hunger Games to bring the tributes together, hoping for some action and drama. As soon as I'm sure I'm about to die from all of the smoke, I'm brought to the Capitol.

"Prim!" I scream. "Prim!"

But it's too late. The parachutes go off, causing an explosion that makes the entire world go black and silent. A few seconds later, my ears are filled with screams. It takes me a minute to realize that they're my own.

Someone shakes the doorknob of my bedroom's door. "Katniss!" the person exclaims. "Katniss!" I take a deep breath. I know Peeta is on the other side of that door. I don't make any move to open the door; I just stay silent like I'm sleeping. After a little while, I hear Peeta sigh and move away from the door.

I pull back the curtains of the window near my bed. It's only sunrise. The sky is lined with pretty shades of pinks and oranges. Why is Peeta here, then? Maybe it was just my imagination.

Hesitantly, I step out the door and into the hallway. There's not a sound. Nothing to tell me that someone was here. Maybe Peeta left, though that seems odd for him to do. Greasy Sae probably won't be here for another few hours. With lack of better things to do, I change into my usual hunting wear, grab my game bag and bow and arrow, and head out the door.

When I get to the woods, I'm not sure how much game will be here. Usually, they come out when the light is out. Gale and I once tried to come here at sunrise, but we ended up going home until the sun was fully out.

The thought of Gale makes me remember what happened yesterday. I scowl, even though there's no one around to see it. I sit down on the grass, leaning against a rock and closing my eyes. I had stuck a few mint leaves in my bag earlier, so I take them out and press them on my tongue.

Somehow, I fall asleep. And, miraculously, I have no nightmares.

When I wake up, the light is out. I hear some birds whistling, so I whistle back a different tune. As I expected, they're mockingjays, and they copy my whistle. After a few minutes of whistling back and forth, I pick up my bow and search the woods for some squirrels or something.

After an hour and a half, I look in my game bag and see that I have a mixed dozen of rabbits and squirrels. I start walking out of the forest and find myself heading for the Hawthornes' home instead of my own. I haven't talked to Hazelle in a while, and, besides, I don't need any of the things I just shot. I might as well give them to her.

I knock on the door and hear some shuffling inside before the door opens. I'm met with the face of Gale, looking a little surprised to see me.

"Hi, Catnip," he says. I ignore him. I guess I must've forgotten that he was back in District 12, because I would've gone home if I remembered.

"Here," I say, handing him my game bag. He looks down at it, confused. "Give those to your mother. And tell her I said hello." I turn around and walk toward my house. I'm not looking for a conversation with Gale today.

"Wait," he says, walking briskly toward me. "Katniss, can I please just talk to you for a minute?" I spin around on my heel to face him. For a few seconds, I don't say anything.

"Fine," I say. I don't want to hear what he has to say, but it's only fair to give him a chance. But it's not like I have any plans to repair our friendship.

"Katniss," he says. He looks a little surprised that I gave in so quickly. "Look, I didn't mean to..."

"Kill Prim?" I say bluntly. There's no point in sugarcoating it. But I know I'm being unfair, that Gale didn't mean to harm her.

"Well, yes," he says. "I never would've created those bombs if I knew they would kill her. You have to know that it was a mistake. A pure accident." He looks genuinely sorry, so I look away. I won't be forced into apologizing. Not yet.

"But you killed all of those people in the rebellion! Gale, they were innocent!" I say, my throat stinging with the memory. "You were fighting against the Capitol for killing innocent children, but that's exactly what_ you_ did!" A few people are walking by, looking at us. Some look curious, but some look like they're judging us. Or maybe they're just judging one of us. I can't tell which one, though.

"I didn't want to kill them!" he said, sounding impatient. "I did it for a reason. Katniss, the Capitol killed them for entertainment. We were in a _rebellion_! People are going to die in rebellions!"

"You're not even sorry," I snap. "You know what? I'm going home."

"Then take this. We don't need you to take care of us," he snaps back. I rip it out of his hands and stomp back toward my house, not looking back once.

I knew the Gale who came to my house last night-who didn't present an argument when I told him to leave-was too good to be true. Now he's back to his arrogant self, the one who's sure that he's always right.


	3. Chapter 3

When I get home, I can smell breakfast cooking, but I can't tell what it is. I don't care, anyway. Greasy Sae says hello to me as I walk through the kitchen, but I ignore her. It's rude, but I'm in no mood to talk after my last conversation. Her granddaughter comes up to me, tugging at my hunting jacket and tries to tell me a story.

"Let go!" I say, and suddenly I'm reminded of sweet, little Prim, and how I said those same two words to her at the reaping. I pull my jacket away from Greasy Sae's granddaughter and dash to my room before anyone could see me break down.

I curl up into the smallest ball I can and cry. But I don't just cry because of Prim. I cry because of my father, because of Finnick, because of Rue, because of Boggs, because of people whose names I don't even know. I somehow manage to cry myself to sleep. The faces of my dead family members and friends haunt my nightmares.

I'm woken up by a knock on the door. "Katniss?" the person on the other side of the door asks gently. I can immediately tell that it's Peeta.

I try to wipe my face of the tears I was shedding, hoping I don't look too insane. "Come in," I say hoarsely. I could use his company right now. The door opens and Peeta walks into the room, looking worried.

He sits down next to me and cautiously wraps his arms around my waist. He knows that I don't want a romantic relationship with anyone at the time. I've told him that. But I don't hesitate to rest my head on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asks, stroking my messy braid. I don't respond. He sighs and looks at the ceiling, unsure of what to do.

"Katniss, I had a talk with Gale today," he says quickly. My head snaps up off his shoulder. Why would Peeta talk to Gale? Did Gale tell Peeta all about how resistant I am to forgive him? There are hundreds of questions running through my mind, but I don't ask any of them. I just wait for Peeta to continue.

"He said that he's sorry. Really, really, really sorry. Katniss, he genuinely means it. I'm sure of it. I can see it in his eyes," says Peeta. "Maybe you shouldn't be so opposed to forgiving him."

I shake my head and stand up. "Look, Peeta, I don't want to talk about this," I say wearily. I head for the door, but his hand has a gentle but firm lock on my wrist.

"Katniss, you can't keep running away from this," says Peeta, pulling me to sit back down. "It isn't fair."

I laugh bitterly. "What do you mean, 'it isn't fair'? It isn't fair to Gale? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" My voice begins to rise. "I'll tell you what isn't fair, Peeta. The fact that my sister was _innocent _and she had to _die _because of Coin, Gale, and Beetee! _Do you think that's fair_?"

Peeta seems surprised by my anger. "I never said it wasn't fair," he says quietly.

"Poor Gale," I say sarcastically. "He has to deal with the guilt of it, that poor thing. Too bad _I'm _the one who has to deal with her death!"

Peeta's silent for a moment, so I'm about to leave the room, but then he speaks, his voice low and gentle. "Do you think Prim would want this?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I don't think Prim would want you to be mad at Gale. She would want you to forgive him and repair your friendship. That's what we all want," says Peeta.

"What do you mean, 'we'?" I ask, confused. Have people been talking about Gale and me behind our backs? Maybe Gale is going around District 12, telling everyone how cruel I am.

"Me, Greasy Sae, Haymitch..." he says, trailing off.

"Haymitch?" I ask, scrunching up my nose. I haven't talked to Haymitch in a while. I don't make many attempts to talk to people in general.

"Yes. He knows. Gale told him," says Peeta. I gasp. The thought of Gale talking to Haymitch just seems so preposterous. Gale has always hated Haymitch, and Haymitch isn't really one to like many people.

"You'd be surprised. Gale and Haymitch are friends now. They have been for a while. When Gale had his job in District 2, he used to occasionally come by to Twelve on weekends. The first time, he was looking for a drink. But Haymitch is completely sober, so he had gotten rid of all of his alcohol. So instead of giving Gale a drink, Haymitch gave him advice. Or just someone to talk to," Peeta says. This information is all new to me, and it's a lot to take in.

"How do you know all of this?" I ask, struggling to wipe my face of all emotions.

Peeta shrugs. "I told you, I was talking to Gale just before I came in your room. We had a pretty long conversation." He takes my hand in his and meets my eyes. "Are you okay?" he asks.

I nod. "I'm fine." But for some reason, I don't feel fine. I feel tired. Not physically, but emotionally. I don't understand why people have to be so complicated. One minute, Gale's yelling at me, trying to justify his actions. The next, he's apparently sorry.

I stand up and smooth out my hunting jacket. It gives me a sense of comfort and bravery, and I could use that right now.

"Where are you going?" asks Peeta, standing up as well.

"To talk to Gale," I say simply.


	4. Chapter 4

For a second, Peeta is silent. Then he grabs my wrist, forcing me to look at him. "Katniss," he says. "Do you...have you even planned out what you're going to say?"

"I think we both know that I'm better unscripted," I answer. Isn't that the truth.

His eyes search mine for a second, and I look away. He's the one who went on and on about why I should forgive Gale, but now he doesn't want me to go?

"Be careful," he finally says, releasing his grip on my wrist. I nod, even though there's nothing that could hurt me. I'm only going to talk to Gale. The worst damage I could do is blow up at him. But he should expect that. He's known me for years.

"Thank you," I say quietly. I step outside and shut the door behind me. It's really cold outside today. I should've brought my jacket outside with me. I don't really want to go back inside, though, so I ignore the goose bumps on my arms and keep walking.

I'm not sure where I should look for him first. I try his house, since that was the last place I saw him, but there's no answer after I knock on the door. I roll my eyes, but I'm not sure why I'm annoyed that he's not here. Probably because I now have to put effort into looking for him.

"To the woods, then," I mumble to myself.

When I get near the woods, I hear voices, so I silently hide between the trees. I could've just turned around, but I didn't for some strange reason. Instead, I peeked through a narrow space in between two huge trees in front of me. I'm surprised to see Gale and his younger brother, Rory. They're both sitting on two large rocks. Gale has a squirrel in his hand, and he's in the process of removing its skin.

"Now, you always want to shoot them in the eye. It'll be a whole lot better," Gale says, looking at Rory. He glances in my general direction, so I shrink back against the bark of a tree, just to be on the safe side. There's no way he could've seen me. I was hidden too well. I don't think he did notice me, since he looks back at Rory. "Got it?" he asks.

"Show me how to shoot an arrow, Gale," Rory says giddily. Gale laughs at his younger brother's enthusiasm.

"All right," Gale says. "Stand up and hand me that bow." Rory does as Gale told him to, taking care to not touch the arrow already loaded in it. I didn't even know Gale owned a bow and arrow. He used to always use mine if he wanted to shoot something with an arrow, which was rare, since he's more of the snare type.

Gale's voice is muffled by the sound of scurrying feet above my head. I silently curse the animal in the trees. Then the running stops as the animal falls to the ground.

"How'd you do that?" Rory asks. He sounds like he's in awe, but I don't look at his face. I need to get out of here. I'm just about to go when Gale's answer stops me dead in my tracks.

"Katniss taught me. She was great with a bow and arrow, remember?" Gale says. Then, in a loud voice, he adds, "Right, Catnip?"

I hold my breath. _He can't see you, he can't see you, he can't see you..._I repeat over and over in my head. I didn't even make a sound as I attempted to leave! How could he have known? I don't dare to move, though. He'll definitely see me if I do.

"You'd think that a Hunger Games victor would be more careful with blending in," Gale says. I roll my eyes, knowing I have no choice but to face the humility that is sure to come. I find a big enough space to squeeze through and I'm face to face with Gale and Rory. Gale's face wears an amused smile, but his eyes hold something else. Doubt? Confusion? I can't tell.

"Hi, Katniss!" Rory greets me. I manage to smile at him, which seems to be plausible to Rory, since he smiles back.

"Rory, I'll teach more things tomorrow. Go home. Everyone should be home by now," Gale says. Rory hesitantly walks a few steps ahead, then stops to turn around and look at Gale. Gale makes a motion with his hand to signal that Rory should keep walking. Rory nods and sprints to his home, laughing a little along the way.

"You were the last person I was expecting to see," says Gale. "Actually, I didn't expect to see anyone. Especially not anyone hiding in the trees." He laughs at me, which makes me mad. I cross my arms over my chest and give him the deadliest look I can. That shuts him up.

"I didn't want to interrupt," I say, walking away from him toward a pile of mint leaves on the ground. I pick one up, examine it, and stick it on my tongue. "I know you've been wanting to teach Rory how to hunt. Thought it'd be rude to barge in."

Gale places a hand over his heart, wearing a mock look of shock. "Katniss Everdeen is afraid of being rude? Who are you and what have you done with my Catnip?" He laughs, but I'm in no mood for joking.

"I'm not _your _Catnip," I snap, sounding angrier than I meant to. He sucks in his breath, and I know that what I said stung. "I'm not anyone's anything," I add in a softer voice.

"Not even the baker's?" he asks icily.

I press my tongue down on the mint leaf in my mouth. "I don't need a romantic relationship in my life to make me happy," I say. It's true, though. I don't need one, nor do I want one. All I need is me, myself, and I. That's the way it's always been...since the rebellion.

"Of course you don't," he says. I can't tell if he's being sarcastic or genuine. He crouches down and picks up the squirrel that he shot before and tosses it into his game bag. He throws in the one that he was in the middle of skinning, too.

"Good. I'm glad you understand that," I say. "Look, I want to talk to you about your apology. I don't-"

Gale cuts me off by laughing bitterly. "No, I get it. Really. You don't want to forgive me. I understand. I might've made those bombs that killed Prim. She was your world, your everything, and I took that away. That's not something that's forgivable." He picks up his game bag and starts walking away.

"That's not what I was going to say!" I call out to him. He stops and turns around.

"What, then? What do you want to say?" he asks. He starts walking toward me until he's right in front of me.

"I want to hear you out," I say.

"Katniss," he says. "There's so much to say to you, but I don't have the time."

I sigh, exasperated with the situation. I come to let Gale apologize, and he says he doesn't have the time? What else does he have to do? "Yeah, well, when are you going to tell me?" I ask.

He contemplates this for a moment. "Come to the Meadow tomorrow morning, just after sunrise, and I'll say everything I need to say to you." With that, he picks up his game bag again and leaves me standing alone.


End file.
